Rope-drive.



PATENTED OCT. 9, 1906.

1?. JAMES.. ROPE DRIVE.

APPLICATION II'LED 00T.13, 1905.

2 sums-$53 1.

WITNESSES O T N E V H rn: mmms PETERS cm, wAsHrNnroN. n. cy

PATENTBD OCT. 9, 1906.

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THOMAS JAMES, OF BRADDOOK, PENNSYLVANIA.

ROPE-DRIVE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

latented Oct. 9, 1906.

Application filed October 13 1905. Serial No. 282,595.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS JAMES, of Braddock, Allegheny county,Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Rope-Drives,of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of thisspecification, in which Figure 1 is a plan, and Fig. 2 is a sideelevation, of my improved mechanism.

My invention relates to rope-drives in which an endless rope is carriedon and is driven by means of sheave-wheels, the rope being used totransmit power at any point between the extreme points of support forthe rope. Heretofore it has been the practice with ropedrives of thisclass to positively drive one of the rope sheaves or drums and toprovide a rope-tightening device which carried he other of therope-sheaves in order to keep the rope at the proper tension, thedriving sheave and he sheave on the tightening devices being usuallylocated at the opposite ends of the rope-drive.

My invention is designed to provide improved means by which the rope isdriven and is tightened and kept at the desired tension, and it consistsin providing a tightening device and applying the rope-driving mechanismso as to be carried on and be movable with th tightening device, .as ishereinafter described and is pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, 2 is the driving sheavewheel of a pair of wheels whichare located at any desired distance from one another, (the drivensheave-wheel not being shown,) and 3 is an endless rope which is passedaround the sheave-wheels. When the distance between the endsheave-wheels is very great, suitable idler-wheels may be supplied tosupport and to prevent sagging of the rope.

The driv ng sheave-Wheel 2 is mounted on a shaft 4, which is carried insuitable bearings 5 5, located on a bearing-stand 6. The stand 6 isslidingly mounted on shears or ways 7 7 and is connected by a rod 8 toone arm of a bell-crank 9, which is mounted in fixed bearings 10. Theother arm of the bell-crank 9 is provided with a counterweight 11, bywhich the sheave-wheel 2 is moved to keep the rope 3 at the requiredtension. Also mounted on the stand 6 is a driving-motor rop 12, which isconnected by the pinion 13, through the toothed wheel 14 and pinion 15on the counter-shaft 16, to the toothed wheel 17, located on the outerend of the driving sheave-wheel shaft 4.

In the operation of the apparatus the motor is started and through theconnecting gearing causes the driving-sheave to revolve and drive therope 3 and through the rope 3 causes any connections to it to beoperated. In case the tension on the rope should become too great theouter end of the horizontal arm on the bell-crank will be lifted,lessening the distance between the two wheels and allowing the rope toslip on the sheave and in this way prevent damage to he apparatus.

In order to provide a wearing-surface on the driving sheave-wheels, hewheel is preferably lined with a soft metal, although wood or othermaterial may be used for such linings.

The advantages of my invention will be apparent to those skilled in theart. Instead of having the tightening device and the drivlng mechanismlocated at widely-separated points they are both on the same end of theBy the word rope in the claims I intend to cover any flexibleconnection.

Variations in the arrangement and location of parts may be made withinthe scope of my invention.

I claim 1. A rope-driving mechanism having a longitudinally-movableframe, a rope-driving sheave mounted on said frame, a motor also mountedon sa d frame, gearing intermediate the motor and sheave and means foradjusting the frame; substantially as described.

2. A rope-driving mechanism having a longitudinally-movable "frame, arope-driv ing sheave mounted on sa d frame, a motor also mounted on saidframe, gearing intermediate the motor and sheave and a Weight. ,formoving the frame; :ubstantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

THOMAS JAMES. Witnesses:

JOHN MILLER, H. M. CoRwrN.

